A few weeks ago, I took my first ever business trip to New Orleans and let me tell you it was a trip to remember on many accounts. I had some of the most amazing seafood ever, got to try a hand grenade drink, got some beads, took some fun pictures, and of course gained 5 pounds.
The downtown area has so much charm, I love all the colorful buildings that remind me of Europe.
We passed Cafe Du Monde which serves the famous “biegnets”. Unfortunately we didn’t have a chance to stop by and try some so that’s something I definitely need to try next time! Deep fried dough and sugary goodness, yum!
Loved this beautiful building and the fact that a horse drawn carriage is only a few bucks away.
And yes, we were in NOLA the week after Mardi Gras.
And this was the first bead that I spotted while walking around.
And then there were more beads…. (love the colors of this one so I’m linking it up to Sweet Shot Tuesdays).
And there were SUPER BIG beads as well.
We had dinner at the amazing Muriel’s in downtown NOLA.
Here’s what I had for dinner. OK, maybe I didn’t eat all of this, or maybe I did, don’t judge. 😉 Loved the fried alligator!
This city has so much history and culture and beautiful architecture.
And also has bars full of any type of hurricane, hand grenade or drink you could ask for.
Bourbon Street, words cannot express the lifestyle of this street, but let’s just say a Party Patrol Police is completely necessary.
We’ll just end this post at hand grenades and mardi gras beads (they were passing them out from the balcony to those who walked by, no show needed)…
Have you been to NOLA before? What are your food/drink/dessert/tourist area recommendations?
Great photos 😀
I wish to stop by cafe du monde someday too and just have some coffee and beignets! <3
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bahahhaa i remember this night ’cause of your incredible, intelligent tweets!!!! 😉 and that one of you the party patrol dude, hilarious! you already look a little starry eyed!
awesome pics! looks like you had a blast – and i esp. love the beads at the window photo!!
i’ve always wanted to make it down there! hopefully someday when i take a break being pregnant! i hear their food is AMAZING!!!!
Looks like you had a blast! I’ve been once and it was so much fun! Loved the biegnets and coffee of course! 😉 We were there the week after Mardi Gras too! Glad you had a lot of fun!! 🙂
What an awesome trip! Thanks for sharing! I love that beads photo…I hope you didn’t have to do anything to get those beads! Just kidding!
I’ve never been to NOLA but I’ve been wanting to go since my mother came back and told me how beautiful it was. And how incredible all the food there is. Maybe next year I’ll take a road trip around the south and finally go.
omg! i am going to new orleans this year, sometime in the fall to do some street shots (as a hobby) and your photos are just so beautiful and inspiring! i cannot wait to take my own! love this and of course, the food! 🙂
I love the photo of the church. Fantastic!!
Visiting form Sweet Shot Tuesday.
gorgeous photos..
visiting from SST!
http://point-shoot-vhen.blogspot.com/2011/04/wacky.html
The colors on the beads are quite lovely! These are some great shots of what sounds like an awesome trip!
Such awesome pictures. I’ve never been to the US yet but I plan too sometime soon. That drink looks interesting and I’m sure I would have to try one 🙂
Beautiful photos and descriptions Sandy! I’ve never been before but my husband was there a week before Katrina hit. It looks like New Orleans has kept up its positive vibe!
I have never ever been there but I want to someday!!
Thanks for your comment.
Great blog.
Lovely photos.
GASP! Love all of the pictures! Makes me want to travel to NOLA soon. Especially since it’s not too far. Thanks for sharing, Sandy!
What a great time! It’s great to see that area alive and thriving again after the storm. We have a little taste of New Orleans in Michigan! N. Michigan ( I should say N. Lower Pen Michigan) but we have a place called Pearl’s New Orleans Kitchen. I used to work there, sooo good and great food. Their Margatini’s are some of the best drinks ever! It’s a margarita mixed with a martini. yes really good.
WOW! Great photos!!! I totally love that there are party patrol police! I have never been to NOLA but it’s def on my list! <3
I’m going for a weeklong visit to Louisiana next week. I love going back and enjoying the things I grew up with. I can totally relate to the 5 pound gain. It’s an inevitable part of any trip to Louisiana. The food is just too good!
Ralph & Kacoo’s is so yummy & a definite must! As is Cafe Du Monde 🙂
Looks like fun, I’d love to visit NOLA one day.
How fun!! It looks like you had a great time in New Orleans! I’m so excited – Mardy and I won tickets last year for the Voo Doo Music Festival going on over Halloween, so we will be making our first ever trip to New Orleans (first trip to the South, really!), and I can’t wait for it! Thanks for doing this post – I’ll have so many recs! 🙂
I am insanely jealous, I’ve alway wanted to go to NOLA!
I would love to visit New Orleans – once during Mardi Gras and once during “off” season. I bet each occassion will be something to remember!
so jealous…I’ve never been but its on my list of places I need to visit asap!
I want to visit there so badly – great photos!
xoxo ~ Courtney
http://sartorialsidelines.blogspot.com
wow sandy! looks like you had a grand time! new orleans is definitely on my list of places to visit.
Great pics. Looks the same as I saw it pre-Katrina 6 years ago. I do love Cafe Du mond.I was there everyday.
Wow! I love all those pictures! I have never been to New Orleans but after seeing these pictures I think I might want to go there oh and the food looks amazing!
You are so cute Sandy!! I love all these pretty photos! Those beads are so lovely and I heart the party patrol!! lol!
I was just there this past weekend! The food (especially the begniets) was amazing! 🙂
What beautiful pictures!!! I have never been to New Orleans around Mardi Gras time, but always thought it would be something fun to do at least once! I’ll have to stop by NOLA when I visit the area…looks like a fun time and makes gaining 5 lbs. worth it! 😉
Liesl 🙂
P.S. Thank you for your sweet comment on my blog and nice words about my engagement ring! 🙂
Eeep! It looks so fun. And you are so gorgeous, lady! :]
it looks like a blast, i have always wanted to visit!
<3 steffy
Steffys Pros and Cons
What great photos! I’ve always wanted to go to New Orelans.
I love NOLA! I went for just a regular weekend in the summer on Bourbon Street and it felt like Mardi Gras. That place is insane! (But so much fun!)
ah! i LOVE NOLA!! you look like youre having a great time 🙂 if you have an extra day try to visit one of their huge parks– it has a free sculpture garden! so pretty 🙂 xoxo jcd :: cornflake dreams
You must make it back to try the biegnets! Besides the architecture , the food is the best! Loved the photos.
goodness, look at that spread of food. jealous!
I’ve always wanted to go to New Orleans but after seeing these impressive pictures, I’m gonna start planning for it. Thank you for sharing.
Sooo fun! Loving these photos! 😀
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I have not been to New Orleans before but I’ve been wanting to go for forever! It looks like you had a great time! Love the shots of all the gorgeous architecture and I absolutely need to meet someone with Party Patrol embroidered on their uniform.
I just love that white church! It’s absolutely beautiful inside too. I went to New Orleans for the first time mere days after getting my DSLR and I was a picture-happy crazy lady! My in-laws probably thought I was nuts 🙂
I’ve never been, but these photos definitely make me want to go and see what it’s all about! The town just looks so cute!
Sounds like a great trip, darling. Have a lovely Tuesday
Kisses
How exciting! I’ve never been to NOLA. YET that is. It’s definitely on the short list. Glad you had fun and I love the pix 🙂 xoxo
I’ve never been and your pics make it look like so much fun! xoxo
I have always wanted to go to NOLA. I wrote an essay on it in elementary school, and I have wanted to go since. It looks like you had a lot of fun, and that food looks so tasty.
My Heart Blogged
I used to live in Louisiana, in the Lake Charles area for like 3 months. I miss all the yummy Cajun food. It was there that I discovered my love of fried craw fish tails. Omg, sooo yummy!
That looks like such a fun trip! Fried alligator, huh? Gotta try that…
Melanie@UnravelledThreads
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I’ve always wanted to go to NOLA! Hopefully someday soon!
Mmm, that food! I’ve never been to NOLA before, can you believe that? I definitely need to go though!
Never been, but I always wanted to go! Looks like you had a lot of fun and that food? wow, like we say in NY, fuggedaboutit
dying to go to NOLA! Great pics… i bet their food is amazing- it looks it!
It looks absolutely amazing there! Looks like another world haha. I would love to visit there someday!
I’ve never been to NOLA, but now I’m absolutely putting this on my to-do list for 2012.. hehe 🙂
i’ve never been to NOLA, but your photos make me want to go there like now! 🙂
what a beautiful city. new orleans is one of the cities i have been dying to visit. you look like you had such a wonderful time and ate the yummiest food 🙂
I DESPERATELY want to go to New Orleans! I’m so jealous; this looks like a fantastic adventure.
xo Josie
http://winksmilestyle.blogspot.com
Beautiful pictures! The food looks so amazing. I had never heard about NOLA before. I had a friend called Noeleen, and we used to call her Nola haha 🙂 xo
I have a few of those same shots! The food was amazing there, wasn’t it?
You take so many world wind trips. Looked like you had a total blast. I have never been there before but hope to go one day.
What a fabulous trip! And oh my goodness the food looks SO great. Eeee. Hope your having a fab, fab week. xx veronika
how fun!! we stopped in new orleans years ago, when we moved my husband from the east coast to san francisco {back when we first finished college}. it was so much fun, but i wished we had more than just a few hours there. must go back!
ive never been before but i would love to go!
I’ve only been once, but you’ve definitely made me want to go back again!
Sent you an e-mail Sandy! Let me know if you get it.
I’ve never been to NOLA, and it’s near the top of my domestic list. My BF is going on a Bachelor party in September and I’m jealous.
such cool pics! love the one with all the beads hanging. your job is so awesome that you get to explore so many parts of the world while working. so proud of you for having such a fabulous job and for being so good at it!
Ahhh we visited NOLA on our USA trip last year. It is an awesome city!! I would recommend doing the streetcar out to the garden district to admire the beautiful homes and gardens. I loved seeing the locals running with their dogs along the street car lines. We sat on a bench seat as the sun set and met locals and had a lovely time. Also, congratulations on being a runner up in the giveaway on All Things Ami that included my own Lucent Imagery cards. I’m sure you will receive a lovely piece of snail mail from her.
i haven’t been to half the places you go to! : ) would love to go here someday and experience all that i know of it.
I can’t believe you passed up beignets. I have never been to NOLA but if and when I do go, beignets will be my first stop!